International Community Radio Taipei (ICRT) seems to be struggling to survive as the only English-language radio station in this country as the Government Information Office (GIO) rearranges the distribution of radio frequencies.
The GIO is asking the station to either downgrade to a "medium power" broadcaster -- but keep the same frequency -- or relocate to a higher frequency to maintain its full-coverage as a "high power" broadcaster.
According to a source at the station, who wished to remain anonymous, during the Martial Law era, ICRT, the Broadcasting Corp of China (BCC) and the Police Radio Service were the three major "high power" broadcasters" that were used to resist the interference in Taiwan's radio communications from the Chinese government.
"We were actually helping the government back in that era," the source said.
Just a few days ago, the source said, the GIO issued an official notice to the station, telling it that ICRT would be downgraded from a "high power" broadcaster to a "medium power" broadcaster because its current frequency -- FM 100.7 -- had been re-designated for "medium power" broadcasters.
The source would not confirm just when the shift was scheduled to take place.
ICRT has three transmitters, located on Yangmingshan in Taipei, Leshan (
With the three transmitters, ICRT can reach most of the west coast, from north to south.
However, according to the GIO notice, once the station becomes a "medium power" broadcaster, the coverage for each transmitter will drop to a radius of 20km.
ICRT hopes to retain its current broadcasting area, but the two options offered by the GIO would cost too much money, the source said.
"If ICRT becomes a `medium power' station, we will need another six to 10 transmitters to maintain a full coverage of the west coast," the source said.
In the meantime, the GIO has offered ICRT another alternative -- to move from the FM 100.7 frequency to something in the range beyond FM 104, which has been designated for "high power" broadcasters.
"As for the GIO's [alternative] proposal, we might need to upgrade our equipment and spend a lot of money on promotion [of the new frequency]," the source said. "That is not something we are capable of at this moment."
If ICRT becomes a "medium power" station, listeners in several of its major markets, including Hsinchu and Tainan, would no longer be able to pick up the station.
"Once we say farewell to them, they will not be able to receive instant news in English and students will lose their opportunity to sharpen their English comprehension ability, too," the source said.
When asked for comments, GIO officials said they did not want to make ICRT change, either, but they have to do what they have to do.
"This is a complicated situation. We cherish the value of ICRT's existence as the only English-language radio station. We also recognize its contribution to local foreign communities," said a senior GIO official who wished to remain anonymous.
"We hope this situation will work out all right in the near future, but now it seems to be at a dead end," the GIO official said.
"The reshuffle of the radio frequencies is required by law and needs to be carried out," the official said.
The American Institute in Taiwan (AIT) has expressed its concern about the station's loss of coverage and sent several staff members to visit the station a few weeks ago.
"We believe that ICRT provides a very important service for Taiwan's expat community," said Dana Shell Smith, AIT's spokeswoman.
Organizations such as the Community Service Center, the American Chamber of Commerce in Taipei and the European Chamber of Commerce in Taipei have been lobbying the government to keep ICRT at its existing bandwidth so that it can reach the largest number of listeners, arguing the station provides a vital public safety service.
"If they [foreign listeners] cannot hear us, they will not be able to hear information about major natural disasters, such as earthquakes," the station source said.
ICRT was officially established on April 16, 1979.
It took over the radio station that had been established by the US military, the Armed Forces Network Taiwan (AFNT), for US troops based in Taiwan, with both an FM and an AM channel, in a later time during the 90s.
The AM channel -- AM 576 -- was targeted at younger listeners, with 24-hour pop music and DJ shows.
The station was forced to close the AM channel in 1993 due to financial difficulties and the AM DJs were either given slots on the FM channel or dismissed.
With the end of the Martial Law era and the opening up of more bandwiths to private radio stations, ICRT faced increasing competition for the youth market and it has struggled over the years to keep its identity while appealing to a broader audience.
In the 1990s, DJs were told that only two Mandarin-language songs could be played in an hour. But over the years the amount of Chinese-language music and Chinese language has been increased.
When new management took over last year, ICRT was given the mandate to become more "localized." As a result, more conversation in Mandarin and other Chinese-language music was heard -- including Hakka -- during ICRT's regular programming.
This major shift of the station's programs sparked intense discussions on the Internet and within the foreign community about the future of ICRT.
Now the station faces an even bigger challenge.
FUKUOKA SITUATION: Japanese media reported that the pathogen is expected to be identified by the summer, while the CDC downplayed the idea that it was hMPV A “mysterious cold-like illness” reported in Japan’s Fukuoka Prefecture does not seem to be a new disease, but Japanese authorities have been asked about the situation, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) said yesterday. The Fukuoka Prefectural Medical Association on Wednesday told a news conference that a “mystery cold” that has become a hot topic on social media is “highly likely to be caused by some kind of viral infection,” Japan’s KBC News reported. “Many people are experiencing symptoms starting with a sore throat, followed by a runny nose, phlegm and a severe cough,” KBC News reported, citing association officials. Health authorities are
Nvidia Corp CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) arrived in Taiwan yesterday ahead of upcoming AI and technology events, saying he plans to meet with clients and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co Chairman C.C. Wei (魏哲家) during his visit. After landing at Taipei Songshan Airport, Huang posed for photos with fans and handed out Yakult drinks to reporters and supporters waiting at the scene, saying he has “a lot to do” during the trip. Asked about reports that Nvidia’s planned headquarters site in Taipei’s Beitou Shilin Technology Park could break ground on May 27, Huang said that if the company holds an event, he would
The Ministry of Finance this afternoon announced the winning numbers for the March-April uniform invoice lottery. The winning number for the NT$10 million (US$318,060) special prize is 19531471, and the winning number for the NT$2 million grand prize is 85941329. Three numbers were drawn for the NT$200,000 first prize: 07225810, 20231230 and 83518781. Those with receipts matching the last seven digits of any of the first-prize numbers will win the NT$40,000 second prize, while those matching the last six digits will win the NT$10,000 third prize. Those whose receipts match the last five digits of the first-prize numbers can claim the NT$4,000 fourth prize,
Taiwan Travelogue (臺灣漫遊錄), which earlier this week became the first Taiwanese novel to win the International Booker Prize, is to be adapted into a television series through a Taiwan-Japan coproduction, producer Chang Chen-yu (張辰漁) said yesterday. Chang, a producer at World Softest Production Film Co, wrote on Facebook that the company had been searching for projects with international appeal that retain a strong Taiwanese identity after colleagues and Japanese partners strongly recommended the novel. After reading the book, Chang said he immediately decided to pursue the screen rights. “A great story has the power to transcend time and borders, and connect countless people,”
RSS